Squeeze down imprinter releasable print head means in traveling roller printing machine



June 15 1965 Filed Dec. 12, 1961 HILL 3,188,949

G. H. SQUEEZE DOWN IMPRIN'I'ER RELEASABLE PRINT HEAD MEANS IN TRAVELING ROLLER PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 LE INVENTOR.

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June 15, 1965 G. H. HILL I 3,188,949

SQUEEZE DOWN IMPRINTER RELEASABLE PRINT HEAD MEANS IN TRAVELING ROLLER PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E i 6p 4 Q 1 v 57 i F260 50 I 5 INVENTOR.

June 15, 1965 a. H. HILL 3,188,949

SQUEEZE DOWN IMPRINTER RELEASABLE PRINT HEAD MEANS IN TRAVELING ROLLER PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet "3 Filed Dec. 12, 1961 INVENTOR 050 965 17. 17ml.

7' 7' GENE Y5- June 15, 1965 I 3 88,949

G. H. SQUEEZE DOWN IMPRINTER RELEASABLE PRINT HEAD MEAN IN TRAVELING ROLLER PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 CPEDIT cman NEW vow STATION INVENTOR. 0501965 A. .H/LL

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United States Patent 3,188,949 SQUEEZE DQWN IMPRINTER RELEASABLE PRINT HEAD MEANS IN TRAVELING ROLLER PRINTING MACHINE George H. Hill, Torrance, Califl, assignor to Dashew Business Machines, Inc, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed'Dec. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 158,728 13 Claims. (Cl. 101-269) for this purpose have included constructions which required manual application of heavy pressure to actuating means for an imprinting roller. Such heavy pressure was required to overcome a heavy spring action previously used for acting against an imprinting head and roller, such heavy pressure in some instances requiring the use of two hands to accomplish an imprinting operation. Under such conditions, resultant printing was often non-uniform because of unavoidable changes in pressure applied to the actuating means for the roller and non-uniform action of the spring over the area of imprinting. Such application and maintenance of such heavy pressure was not only tiring on an operator but also increased wear on the imprinting roller and on other parts of the machine.

Another cause for a requirement of application of heavy pressure to actuating means for such a prior proposed machine was the unsecured or unlocked relationship of head means carrying the actuating means with respect to the base of the machine which provided a surface to support a card and form in position for transfer of such information. Such prior proposed machines are generally relatively large, unwieldy and during an imprinting operation were likely to shift and move because of the heavy pressure applied to the machine during an imprinting operation.

The present invention contemplates a novel, manually operable imprinting device which obviates disadvantages of prior proposed machines and which includes distinct advantages in simplicity of construction, ease of operation and uniformity and clarity of imprinting. The present invention contemplates an imprinting device including various structural features which render the device operable with relatively light or a minimum of pressure, for example, one hand, or only a few fingers of the hand, and which render the device relatively foolproof and protected against mishandling.

The primary object of the present invention is to disclose and provide an imprinting device of novel construction and operation for use in transferring printable information from a data bearing card or the like to a sales slip or a data record form or the like.

An object of the invention is to disclose and provide such an imprinting device including an actuating handle operable by application of relatively light pressure thereto for movement of an imprinting roller in an imprinting stroke.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide an imprinting device including a head means so mounted and arranged as to be secured and automatically locked in relation to a base frame means upon positioning of the head means for an imprinting stroke.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide a head means and an actuating handle for operating an imprinting roller wherein the actuating handle and ice head means are automatically locked or immobilized with respect to each other so that they may act as a unit at the end of an imprinting stroke.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide an imprinting device wherein an imprinting roller is carried by linkage means for providing relatively uniform printing pressure throughout an imprinting stroke.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide an imprinting device including a means for sensing the presence of a record form on the device and adapted to render the actuating means for an imprinting roller inoperative unless the form is in proper preselected position in the imprinting device.

Still another object of the invention is to disclose and provide in such an imprinting device means for unlocking the head means from its fixed relation with respect to the base means at the end of an imprinting stroke for permitting the head means to move to an uncovered or open position.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide an imprinting device including means for automatically releasing a handle actuating means for return of the imprinting roller to its initial position after the head means raised to uncovered or open position.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide an imprinting device as described above including manually operable unlocking means for the head means in the event an invoice form is improperly positioned in the imprinting device.

The present invention contemplates an imprinting device wherein an imprinting head means carries in operative relation an actuating means, an imprinting roller, and a simple effective system of linkage means and lever members, and wherein movement of the head means relative to a base means and movement of an actuating handle relative to the head means will provide Virtually automatic locking and unlocking of the head means, an immobilization and fixing of the positions of the actuating handle with respect to the head means to facilitate movement of the head means during an imprinting operation.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings, in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an imprinting device embodying this invention in uncovered or open position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1 showing the machine in closed or covered position, and after an imprinting stroke has been made;

FIG. 3 is an end view taken from the plane indicated by line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in a vertical plane indicated by the line IV-IV of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 4 with the top wall of the head means removed;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken in the plane similar to that of FIG. 4 showing the device at the end of an imprinting stroke;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in a plane similar to that of FIG. 6 showing the device in uncovered or open position;

PEG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken in the horizontal plane indicated by line VIIIVIII of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in the vertical planes indicated by line IX-IX of FIG, 4;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of toggle link means and an invoice sensing toggle release element in toggle locked position; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to printable characters is well known manner.

means and having a horizontal central outer recess 31 forming a finger opening and up- 33. Surface portion 37 beneath the in surface means 27 to provide a central longitudinally extending positioning rib,

:with longitudinally extending rib 38.

r 3 FIG. showing the toggle link means in released position.

In an exemplary manual imprinting device generally indicated at f 15, embodying this invention, a base frame means 16 may rest upon a supporting surface 17 and may carry an imprinting head means 18 for movement between an open or uncovered position (FIG. 1) and covered or closed position (FIG. 2) with respect to thebase means. The head means 18 may include an actuating handle 19 pivotally mounted in the head means for movement between an upper raised position and a lower depressed position,

The base frame means 16 may comprise a flat, polygonal base plate.21 of suitable configuration. Fixed to plate 21 may be spaced parallel upstanding base frame members 22 provided with cantilever arm portions 23 interconnected by a platform 24, said arm portions 23 and platform 24 being disposed in spaced overlying relation to plate 21 for permitting customary positioning of a sales book therebetween with a page of the sales book overlying platform 24. Platform 24 may be provided with sidewardly extending portions 25 and 26 projecting beyond arm portions 23 and providing a top surface .means 27 forming an anvil surface for imprintingand also providing a surface for supporting various guide means of selected size and configuration for a data bearing card and a page or sheet of an invoice form or sales record form. The data bearing card 36 may be of any type of relatively stiff suitable card material such as plastic, laminates or metal adapted to be embossedor provided with form 33 may likewise be of any well known paper stock adapted to receive and bear printed information.

Such guide means may include an invoice guide plate 29 (FIG. 8) secured to platform portion 25 by suitable wall 30 provided with a standing side and end flanges 32 and 32a, respectively. On

the opposite side of the base frame means, platform portion .26 may be provided with longitudinally spaced upstanding transverse ribs 34 and 35 defining therebetween a space for card 36 and serving to guide said card 36 laterally over the surface means toward the invoice form card 36 is recessed 38 for card 36. Card 36 may be longitudinally positioned with respect to the platform along its innermost edge by an upstanding rib portion 39 provided opposite rib 34 and forming a corner notch 40 In addition to the longitudinal and lateral positioning of invoice form 33 by the side and end flanges 32 and 32a, the inner faces 42 and 43 or upstanding ribs 34 and 35, respectively, may serve as abutment means for the inner longitudinal edge of the invoice form 33. Lateral guiding and positioning of invoice form 33 may be provided by an upstanding tip'portion 44 (FIG. 7) provided on the end of arm 45 received within a recess in the bot,- tom surface of platform 24, pivotally mounted at 46 between its ends, and normally biased upwardly by a spring 47 at its innermost end.

The, guide means described above provides preselected accurate positioning of an invoice form 33 and a card 36 with the invoice form overlying a portion of the card 36 including embossed information thereon such as the account number, name and location ofthe holder or the owner of the card. It will, of course, be understood that the configuration of the guide means described maybe The record tion. Similarly, adjacent to such recess, surface means 27 may be provided with an aperture 52 adapted to receive and position a rotary date stamp device 53. The date stamp device 53 may be mounted on a suitable bracket 54 readily attachable to the bottom surface of the platform as at 55.

Each base frame member 22 may be similarly configured and in spaced relation from the inner end of platform 24, each member 22 may be provided with an upstanding integral'lug portion 57 (FIG. 6) ported to receive a pivotal mounting shaft 58 for the head means 18, such shaft 58 being normally non-rotatable and having at one end a handle portion 59 for a purpose later described. Below and to the rear or in a direction opposite tothe platform, each base frame member may be provided with a rearwardly directed ear 61, said ears 61 being interconnected by a transverse member or pin 62.

The head means 18 (FIGS. 4 and 5) may comprise parallel spaced; head side frames 65 having a suitable polygonal configuration and serving to support a housing 66of suitable sheet-like metal or plastic material having a top wall 67 provided with depending side flanges 68 covering upper margins'of side frames 65. Top wall 67 may extend forwardly and downwardly to provide an end wall69 having a central vertically disposed elongated slot 70 for actuating handle 19. Side frames 65 are provided with aligned ports 71 to receive ends of shaft 58 for pivotally mounting head means 18 for movement to and between an upper uncovered position relative to surface means 27 (FIG. 1) and a covered closed position (FIG. 2).

An imprinting roller 72 is provided in head means 18 for movement between an initial position (FIG. 4) at the front end of the platform through an imprinting stroke over invoice form 33 which overlies that portion of the .station plate, date assembly and card embossed portion to a second positionat the back end of the platform (FIG. '6) at the completion of the imprinting stroke. The imprinting roller 72 may be made ofany suitable ink bearing or containing material having a selected cylindrical surface of suitable texture and yieldability so that as roller 72 moves across the embossed portions on card 36, station plate ,50 and the date stamp means, an imprint will be made thereof on invoice form 33. 1

Actuating means for roller 72 may comprise, in addition to handle 19, a pivotal connection at 74 to side frames 65 provided by a shaft 75 having ends thereof carried in 1 aligned ports in side frames 65. Pivotally connected to shaft 75 are corresponding ends of depending flanges 76 of a handle mounting plate 77 which extends between said flanges and which may be integrally formed therewith. Handle 19 may be secured at the center of mounting plate 77 as by a nut and bolt arrangement indicated at 78. An actuating linkage means for interconnecting roller 72 and actuating handle 19 may comprise a quadrilateral linkage arrangement including depending flanges 76 pivotally interconnected at their corresponding ends to pairs of links 80 and 81. Links 80 and 8d are pivotallyconnected at theircorresponding lower ends as viewed in FIG. 4 to a pair of forwardly extending roller supporting links 82, said links 80 being connected to the ends of roller links 82 opposite to the roller 72 and links 81 being connected intermediate their ends as at 83 to roller links 82. The front corresponding ends of roller supporting links 82 serve to rollably mount the inking roller 72.

A transverse shaft 85 which serves to pivotally interconnect the links 80 and 82 also serves to pivotally mount one end of a toggle linkage meansinclu-ding a toggle link element 87 having a pivotal'connection at its opposite end at 88 to a toggle link element 89 having a pivotal connection at its remote end to shaft 58 as at 90. Toggle link element 89 is positioned laterally at shaft 58 by suitable side. lock washers 91. Toggle link element 89 overlaps I the adjacent end portion of toggle link element 87 and may be provided with a transverse sidewardly bent lug 93 adapted to contact the top edge of toggle link element 87 as at 94 when elements 87 and 89 are in longitudinal alignment and to lock the elements 87 and 39 against further relative movement in one direction.

In such locked aligned relation of the toggle elements 87 and 89 (FIG. 4 and FIG. spring 100' maintains such relation by imposing a biasing force on the actuating linkage and handle 19. One end of spring 100 may be connected to a transverse member 101, an intermediate portion of spring 100 coiled around shaft 75, and an end leg-102 extended beneath plate '77. Under such normal biased condition, the fully extended linkage and toggle means positions roller 72 at the front of the head means for an imprinting stroke and handle 19 is in upper raised position and is locked or immobilized with respect to the head means by the toggle means. Thus in such locked position the handle is associated with the head means so as to move therewith as -a unit and when the head means is lowered to covered position of the platform, only the handle need be grasped to pull the head means to such covered closed position.

The normally locked toggle elements 87 and 89 may be released by an invoice sensing element 96 adjustab-ly carried adjacent one end by suitable slot and pin adjustment means 95 on toggle element 87 between its ends. Element 96 extends downwardly for contact at its lower edge face 97 with an invoice form 33, such contact serving to break the aligned relation of the elements 87 and 89 and thereby release the toggle lock. If a form is not properly positioned, edge face 97 may extend into a recess 98 in surface means 27 and unlocking of the toggle will not occur.

Releasable locking means may be provided for locking the head means 18 to the imprinting platform in an operable position and spontaneously releasing the head means when the imprinting stroke is completed.

Means are provided for locking the head means 18 when it is moved into covered position of the base means. Such head locking means may comprise angle shaped locking lever members 105 pivotally mounted in spaced relation on a transverse shaft 105a extending between side frames 65 adjacent the rear of head means 18. Each lever member 105 includes a relatively wide depending leg 106 provided with a curved or contoured slot 107 having a J shaped bottom portion providing a locking recess 108 for locking reception therein of transverse pin 62 carried by ears 61 on the base frame. Legs 106 may be interconnected by a transverse element 109 (FIG. 8) providing connections to one end of biasing springs 110 connected at their other ends to a transverse U bar 111 secured to base frames 23. Lever members 105 are normally biased into locking position by springs 110 (FIG. 4) so that when head means 18 is lowered to covered position, the head means will be locked in relation to the base means.

Means for automatically and spontaneously unlocking head means 18 with respect to the base means becomes operative when roller 72 has moved to the end of its imprinting .stroke, such unlocking means including transverse member or shaft 85 which provides a pivotal connection for links 80, 82 and which is adapted to engage .rearwardly inclined cam edge faces 114 provided at the front ends of forwardly extending legs 115 of lever members 105. In FIG. 6 it will be apparent that as the roller 72 moved to the end of its imprinting stroke the transverse shaft 83 engaged cam edge faces 114 causing the forwardly extending legs 115 to be depressed about their pivotal connections on shaft 62 and thus causing depending legs 106 to move clockwise against the biasing forces of springs 110 to position pin 62 at the forward edge of slot 107 so as to permit later relative movement of the pin 62 in slot 107 toward the upper end thereof.

At the end of the imprinting stroke, actuating arm 19 is fully depressed (FIG. 6). The actuating linkage means has been rotated about the shaft 75 and the toggle means is partially collapsed (FIG. 6). Means for immobilizing actuating arm 19 with respect to the head means in such depressed position may include a securement lever member 117 pivotally mounted on shaft 105a between lever members 105. Lever member 117 includes a forwardly extending arm 118 with a hooked end 118a. Member 117 also includes a forwardly inclined depending arm 119 spaced forwardly of the shaft 105a to positively urge arm 118 downwardly as by gravity. During the end travel of the roller 72, shaft which engages cam edge faces 114 is urged into hooked relation with hooked end 118a of arm 118. It will be apparent that such hooking engagement of transverse shaft or member 83 immobilized the actuating linkage means and the actuating handle 19 is held in fixed relation to the head means 18 so that the head means and actuating handle 19 may be operated as a unit while it is moved from covered position to uncovered position.

During such movement from covered to uncovered position as by lifting upwardly on the handle 19, lever members and slots 107 are moved downwardly relative to pin 62 until the pin 62 contacts a bottom edge face 120 on the lever member 117 just rearwardly of depening arm 119. When the head means 18 reaches complete uncovered position (FIG. 7) it will be apparent that pin 62 is at the other end of slot 107 and that hook arm 118 has been lifted by pin 62 out of engagement with shaft 83. The actuating linkage is thereby released from it immobile relation to the head means and actuating arm 19 may be moved to its uppermost initial starting position in slot 70. Such upward movement of actuating handle 19 is assisted by the spring means 100, roller 72 is thereby moved to its front initial position, and the toggle links 89 and 87 are brought into locked toggle arrangement (FIG. 10) whereby the actuating handle 19 and the head means are again in fixed immobile relation to each other for actuation as a unit.

The operation of the imprinting device will be readily apparent from the above description. In brief summary of such operation it will be understood that when the machine is in uncovered position (FIG. 1) a credit card 36 and an invoice form 33 may be properly positioned on surface means 27 with invoice form 33' at least partially overlying a portion of the credit card and overlying station plate 50 and the date stamp means 53. Since actuating handle 19 is immobilized in relation to the head means 18 by the locked toggle linkage, the actuating handle 19 may be grasped and the head means lowered to covered position. As the head means is lowered to covered position, the lever members 105 are urged by springs 110 toward pin 62 which enters locking notches 108 to secure and lock the head means relative to the base means. In the event an invoice form 33 is not present in the device or is not properly positioned thereon, the invoice sensing element 96 will extend into recess 93 and the toggle linkage will not be unlocked and the actuating handle cannot be depressed from its position at the top end of its slot 70. To manually release the head means under such locked condition, handle portion 59 of shaft 58 may be rotated counter-clockwise as viewed in the drawings so as to urge an unlocking cam member rearwardly and downwardly against the opposed surface of the depending arm 119 which contacts transverse element 109 and moves element 109 rearwardly against the springs 110 and urges locking notches 108 out of engagement with the pin 62. Upon disengagement thereof the head means may be raised to its uncovered position because pin 62 may move in slot 107.

When the invoice form 33 is in proper position on the surface means 27, invoice sensing element 96 will contact the form (FIG. 11) and suflicient resistance to further downward movement will be imparted to toggle link element 87 so as to break the alignment of the toggle elements 87 and 89 and thus free the actuating linkage to permit depression of the actuating handle 19. Upon depression of handle 19 the roller 72 will be moved in an imprinting stroke from the front to the rear of the head means. The particular quadrilateral arrangement of the actuating linkage, namely elements 80, 81, 82 and 76 provides a'virtually uniform imprinting pressure throughout the imprinting stroke. When the roller 72 reaches the end of the stroke, the shaft 83 has moved up cam edge faces 114 causing locking notches 108 to disengage from pin 62 and shaft'83 is engaged by the hook arm 118 of the securement lever member 117. V The actuating handle 19 and the actuating linkage is thus again immobilized with respect to movement relative to the head means and upon lifting the actuating handle 19 the head means 18 will be pivoted about its pivotal mounting on shaft 58 so as to be raised to uncovered position. The hook arm 118 is-unlocked at uncovered position by unlocking abutment of the pin 62 with surface portion 120 sothat the actuating linkage is released from its immobilized state and the actuating handle 19 may be raised to the upper end of its slot 70 and the roller 72 returned to its forward initial position in the head means. At such upper position of the actuating again locked relative to the head means age means. 7

It may be noted that tip 44, after serving the purpose of guiding invoice form 33, is depressed when head means 18 is lowered by the pressing contact of transverse bar 44a on the head means in headlocked position. At the front end transverse bar- 24a bears against the adjacent portion of the invoice form 33. Thus invoice form 33 is permanently held in position on the base frame means. Pressure of bar 44a on the tip 44 also serves to move the tip 44 out of and below the path of the roller 72-at the end of its imprinting stroke.

It will be understood that the card 36 may, include .any suitable form of data bearing card and the invoice form may include any type of data record form. The particular arrangement" of the quadrilateral actuating linkage means may be modified and varied to provide other arrangements wherein the imprinting roller'may be moved through an imprinting stroke with substantially uniform pressure imparted to the roller throughoutthe stroke. It is important to note that the pressure imparted to the imprinting roller 72 during the printing stroke is that pressure provided by the particular arrangement of the actuating linkage means and since the head means is in locked position with respect to the base, such imprinting pressure is not dependant upon application of pressure by an operator. In other words, depression of the by the toggle linkoperating handle has only the primary function of mov- 1 ing the roller in a horizontal plane across the invoice form. Since returning of the roller to its initial starting position is accomplished when the head means is in open position, contact of the roller 72 with the invoice form on the return stroke is impossible. It will be readily apparent that the imprinting device is easily operable and that only the actuating handle 19 need be grasped in order to accomplish an imprinting operation including the movement of the head means to covered position and thence to uncovered position.

Various other modifications and changes may be made in the imprinting device described above which may come within the spirit of this invention and all such changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a manual imprinting device, the combination of: a base means provided with a surface to support in superposed predetermined relation a data bearing card and an invoice form, said base means including a pivotal mount- I ing; animprinting head means including a head frame supported from said pivotal mounting and movable to .covered and uncovered pos tion respect to such handle 19 the actuating linkage is surface; an imprinting roller carried on said head frame; actuating means for said roller comprising an actuating 'handle extending from said head frame and having a pivotal connection therewith, linkage means interconnecting said handle pivotal connection, said roller, and said base pivotal mounting whereby movement of said actuating handle in one direction causes said roller to move across said surface for an imprinting stroke-,spring means carried by said head frame normally biasing said actuating handle to one position; an angle shaped lever member pivotally connected to said head frame and provided with a selectively contoured slot, a pin on said base means cooperably received within said slot for locking said head frame in covered position, and lever'member having a cam surface at one end adapted to be engaged by said roller linkage means for moving said lever member into unlocked position; a securement lever pivotally connected to said head frame and having a forwardly extending hook armadapted -to engage said actuating linkage means at the end of the imprinting stroke of the roller to immovably associate said actuating handle and head frame; said pin being engageable with said securement lever for releasing said lever when said head frame. is moved to uncovered position whereby said actuating handle may be returned to its initial position and said imprinting roller moved to its initial position while said head frame is in uncovered position.

a 2. A device as stated in claim 1, wherein said actuating linkage means includes pivotally interconnected toggle .links, and an invoice sensing element carried by one of said toggle links for rendering said actuating handle inoperative when said head frame is in covered position and said invoice is not in proper position for imprinting.

3; In combination with an imprinting device having a head means movable to an operative imprinting'position and a base means therefor, the provision of: an imprint- -ing roller; an actuating means for said roller including an actuating handle pivotally mounted on said head means, linkage means including a link member connected at one end at said pivotal connectionof said actuating handle, toggle means including a toggle link element pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said ..link member, and a toggle link element pivotally connected at one end to said base; and a toggle linkage releaseelement adjustably connected to said first toggle link element, and a link member connected at one end to said roller and at itsopp'osite end to said other end-of said link member.

4. In the combination as stated in claim 3 including the provision of a transverse member connected intermediate the end-s of said link member carrying said roller; and

a securement lever pivotally connected to said head frame 7 and engageable with said transverse member for locking said actuating means in one position thereof.

5.. In the combination as stated in claim 4 including a pin on said base adapted to engage said securement lever for releasing said securement lever from locking engagement with said actuating means in a different position of the head frame. i

'6. In combination with an imprinting device including a head means mounted for movement on a base, the

provision of: a head means locking lever member pivotally mounted on said head means and having a selectively contoured slot therein; a pin carried on said base for engagement with such slot for locking said head means in one positionya spring means normally biasing said locking lever member into locked position of said pin and slot;

actuating means foran'imprinting roller pivotally mounted on said head means and including actuating linkage means; said actuating linkage means including a transverse member; said locking lever member having a cam surface for engagement with said-transverse member for unlocking said locking lever member when said actuating -lin-kage means is moved through an imprinting stroke 01 theimprinting roller.

7. An imprinting device that can be flaccidly operated, adapted to be used in imprinting identification data on a sales slip, invoice, shipping notice or the like, comprising: an imprinting platform adapted to receive a data carrying card and a data storage form and maintain the data card and the data storage form with portions thereof in overlapped position; imprinting means including a roller, said imprinting means being lockable to said imprinting platform in an operable position during an imprinting operation; said roller being adapted to be rolled along said imprinting platform when said imprinting means is in the operable position; a polygonal toggle linkage train pivotally connected to said imprinting platform near one end thereof and pivotally maintaining said roller in position to be rolled under uniform pressure along said imprinting platform when said imprinting means is in operable position; and releasable locking means for locking said imprinting means to said imprinting platform in the operable position for an imprinting operation and spontaneously releasing said imprinting means from said imprinting platform when an imprinting operation is completed.

8. An imprinting device as stated in claim 7 wherein said imprinting means is pivotally mounted near one end of said imprinting platform.

9. An imprinting device as stated in claim 8 wherein said pivotally mounted imprinting means and said pivotally mounted polygonal toggle linkage train are pivotally mounted about one axis.

10. In an imprinting device, the combination of: a base; a surface means on said base for supporting a data bearing member and a data form; an elongated imprinting head means having a pivotal mounting on said base and extending over said surface means in covered position with respect thereto and movable about said pivotal mounting to an uncovered position; an imprinting roller associated with said imprinting head means; actuating means on said head means connected with said roller for moving said roller longitudinally relative to said elongated head means across said surface means for an imprinting operation; securement means including a pivoted lever member on said head means releasably engageable with said actuating means for holding the actuating means and head means without relative movement therebetween and as a unit while the head means is moved from covered to uncovered position; and means including a member on said base for releasing said lever member for breaking the unitary relation of the actuating means and head means at uncovered position of the head means.

11. An imprinting device as stated in claim 10 including means adjacent the pivot mounting of said head means for locking the head means in covered position; and means for releasing said locking means at the end of an imprint-ing operation.

12. An imprinting device as stated in claim 11, wherein said means for releasing said locking means includes a cam surface for guiding said actuating means into releasable engagement With said lever member.

13. An imprinting device comprising: a base having a surface means to support in at least partial superposed relation an embossed card and an invoice form; a head means having a pivotal mounting on the base and movable between a covered and uncovered position with respect to the surface means; an imprinting roller movable to wards and away from said pivotal mounting; actuating means including a pivoted handle for moving the roller across said surface means for imprinting contact with said invoice form; means for locking the head means in covered position; securement means for holding the actuating means including said handle in fixed relation with respect to said head means for movement of the actuating means and head means as a unit from covered to uncovered position; means for unlocking said head means as the actuating means is held in said fixed relation for movement of said head means to uncovered position; means for releasing the securement means for the actuating means at uncovered position head means; and means carried by the actuating means to sense the presence of an invoice form on said surface means for rendering the actuating means inoperative when the head means is in covered position in the absence of an invoice form and for rendering the actuating means operative when the head means is in uncovered position in the presence of an invoice form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. ROBERT A. LEIGHEY, Examiner. 

1. IN A MANUAL IMPRINTING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF: A BASE MEANS PROVIDED WITH A SURFACE TO SUPPORT IN SUPERPOSED PREDETERMINED RELATION A DATA BEARING CARD AND AN INVOICE FORM, SAID BASE MEANS INCLUDING A PIVOTAL MOUNTING; AN IMPRINTING HEAD MEANS INCLUDING A HEAD FRAME SUPPORTED FROM SAID PIVOTAL MOUNTING AND MOVABLE TO COVERED AND UNCOVERED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SUCH SURFACE; AN IMPRINTING ROLLER CARRIED ON SAID HEAD FRAME; ACTUATING MEANS FOR SAID ROLLER COMPRISING AN ACTUATING HANDLE EXTENDING FROM SAID HEAD FRAME AND HAVING A PIVOTAL CONNECTION THEREWITH, LINKAGE MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID HANDLE PIVOTAL CONNECTION, SAID ROLLER, AND SAID BASE PIVOTAL MOUNTING WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING HANDLE IN ONE DIRECTION CAUSES SAID ROLLER TO MOVE ACROSS SAID SURFACE FOR AN IMPRINTING STROK, SPRING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HEAD FRAME NORMALLY BIASING SAID ACTUATING HANDLE TO ONE POSITION; AN ANGLE SHAPED LEVER MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID HEAD FRAME AND PROVIDED WITH A SELECTIVELY CONTOURED SLOT, A PIN ON SAID BASE MEANS COOPERABLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SLOT FOR LOCKING SAID HEAD FRAME IN COVERED POSITION, AND LEVER MEMBER HAVING A CAM SURFACE AT ONE END ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY SAID ROLLER LINKAGE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID LEVER MEMBER INTO UNLOCKED POSITION; A SECUREMENT LEVER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID HEAD FRAME AND HAVING A FORWARDLY EXTENDING HOOK ARM ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID ACUTATING LINKAGE MEANS AT THE END OF THE IMPRINTING STROKE OF THE ROLLER TO IMMOVABLY ASSSOCIATE SAID ACUTATING HANDLE AND HEAD FRAME; SAID PIN BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SECUREMENT LEVER FOR RELEASING SAID LEVER WHEN SAID HEAD FRAME IS MOVED TO UNCOVERED POSITION WHEREBY SAID ACTUATING HANDLE MAY BE RETURNED TO ITS INITIAL POSITION AND IMPRINTING ROLLER MOVED TO ITS INITIAL POSITION WHILE SAID HEAD FRAME IS IN UNCOVERED POSITION. 